Ever since Tom McCall became nationally known for his efforts to protect Oregon's environment, protecting the state's natural beauty has been a defining issue in every race for governor.

The 2010 governor's race has been different, with the focus placed squarely on Oregon's high joblessness and the state's seemingly endless budget crisis.

But the next governor will have to grapple with the thorny issues of how to manage Oregon's land and natural resources. And the decisions made by either Democrat John Kitzhaber or Republican Chris Dudley could affect the state's landscape long after the economic cycle has turned.

Kitzhaber, who kept a large photo of Republican Gov. McCall in his office during his two terms as governor, vows to maintain Oregon as an environmental leader. These days, he puts the issue mostly in economic terms, talking frequently about his plan to create jobs by weatherizing schools.

Dudley says he regards the state's scenic beauty as a key asset. But unlike Kitzhaber, he hasn't produced a position paper on the environment. And, despite a week's notice, he did not agree to an interview on environmental and natural resource subjects before the deadline for this story. Tuesday morning, a campaign aide said Dudley would respond to e-mailed questions, but by deadline the campaign had not responded.

Like most Oregon Republicans who have run for statewide office in the last two decades, Dudley has emphasized that he wants to increase timber production and free agriculture of some burdensome regulations.

But he has shied away from providing details, and even many of his supporters say that it is unclear just how Dudley -- a former professional basketball player making his first run for office -- would handle the tough environmental controversies that he would face as governor.

One example: He has avoided throughout the campaign saying whether he believes global warming is caused by human activity.

Among many political activists, the environment remains a hot political issue. Dudley has successfully tapped the timber and agricultural industries for support as he sympathizes with their plight.

Paulette Pyle, a natural resource and pesticide lobbyist who works closely with Dudley's campaign, said that became clear the first time she met Dudley and asked him what he knew about the state's farms and forests.

"He said, 'What I do know is that they have been underutilized over the years and that I believe that is why Oregon has had economic difficulties,'" Pyle related. Still, she said Dudley has "not articulated to me exactly where he would go in these areas."

When Dudley talked to the editorial board of The Oregonian last month, he didn't mention the natural resource industries when asked to describe his major proposals to create more jobs. But when asked about timber production, he said it was "definitely on my agenda...We need to get to a more sustainable harvest, take advantage of the natural resources we have."

Dudley also talked about allowing "greater flexibility" with Oregon's tough zoning laws to allow local communities more control over development. But he hasn't spelled out any details here either.

Not surprisingly, environmental interests are suspicious of Dudley. Jon Isaacs of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, which has endorsed Kitzhaber, said that the Republican has said enough to make them worry about his interest in protecting the environment.

Isaacs noted that in addition to supporting higher logging levels, Dudley has said he is against a permanent ban on oil drilling off the Oregon coast and opposes Ballot Measure 76, which would continue the 15 percent diversion from lottery profits for parks and wildlife habitat.

Dudley has said he doesn't have any plan to push for drilling off the coast, but doesn't think it should be forever foreclosed. He has said he opposed the ballot measure because the state can't afford to limit its budget flexibility.

Kitzhaber has long been a lightning rod on environmental issues. When he was governor from 1995-2003, he vetoed a record 202 bills passed by a Republican-led Legislature, more than a fifth of them on environmental issues.

He staunchly defended the state land-use system and resisted efforts to weaken a welter of environmental regulations. He won broader praise for devising a coastal salmon plan that relied heavily on volunteer watershed councils and avoided a federal endangered species listing.

"With a friendly Legislature, we think John Kitzhaber will be the best environmental governor since Tom McCall," said Isaacs.

In an interview, Kitzhaber warned that a bad economy "lends itself to short cuts when it comes to the environment." But he added that he sees a "huge convergence here of economic opportunity and strong environmental stewardship" by pursuing a strategy of aggressively reducing energy consumption and shifting away from fossil fuels.

Kitzhaber said removing forest underbrush and thinning some stands would reduce fire danger and provide fuel for biomass plants that produce electricity. For the cities, he talks about boosting alternative forms of transportation and finding ways for people to live closer to their jobs.

In an ad, Dudley calls Kitzhaber's weatherization plan a failed stimulus effort that would "charge $100,000 per temporary job on the taxpayer's credit card."

Kitzhaber said a state bond to finance weatherization could be paid off with savings in energy costs. He argues that there is enough work to do to create a large number of permanent private-sector jobs -- not temporary ones -- particularly if Oregon-made windows and other materials are used.

Republicans have also questioned whether Kitzhaber has a conflict of interest because his girlfriend, Cylvie Hayes, has a consulting firm involved in weatherization. Three Department of Energy officials are under investigation regarding reports they may have improperly steered a subcontract to her firm. Hayes is not under investigation.

Kitzhaber said that if he wins office, "she's not going to apply for any contracts.. Whatever we do will be done in a very transparent way that doesn't even create the perception of a conflict of interest."